Editing Hugh Capet (section)

==Hugh, Duke of the Franks==
[[File:Mynt slaget av Hugo Capet.jpg|thumb|A ''[[French denier|denier]]'' of Hugh Capet when he was Duke of France, calling him "duke [[by the grace of God]]" (''Dux Dei Gratia''). Minted at Paris (''Parisi Civita'')]]
In 956, Hugh inherited his father's estates, in theory making him one of the most powerful nobles in the much-reduced kingdom of [[West Francia]].{{Sfn|Riché|1993|p=264}} As he was not yet an adult, his mother acted as his guardian,<ref>Jules Michelet, ''History of France'', Vol. I, trans. G. H. Smith (New York: D. Appleton, 1882), p. 146</ref> and young Hugh's neighbours took advantage. [[Theobald I of Blois]], a former vassal of Hugh's father, took the counties of [[Chartres]] and [[Châteaudun]]. Farther south, on the border of the kingdom, [[Fulk II of Anjou]], another former client of Hugh the Great, carved out a principality at Hugh's expense and that of the [[Bretons]].<ref>Theis, pp. 69–70.</ref>

The royal diplomas of the 960s show that the nobles were faithful not only to the Duke of the Franks, as in the days of Hugh the Great, but also to King Lothair. Indeed, some in the royal armies fought against the [[Duchy of Normandy]] on behalf of Lothair. Finally, even Hugh's position as second man in the kingdom seemed to slip. Two charters of the [[Montier-en-Der Abbey]] (968 and 980) refer to [[Herbert III, Count of Vermandois]], while Count of Chateau-Thierry, Vitry and lay abbot of Saint-Médard of Soissons, bearing the title of "Count of the Franks" and even "count of the palace" in a charter of Lothair.

For his part, Lothair also lost power with the ascendance of the Ottonian monarchy. It waned by participating in the gathering of relatives and vassals of Otto I in 965. However, from the death of the emperor in 973, Lothair wanted to revive the policy of his grandfather to recover Lorraine. Otto's son and successor, Otto II, appointed his cousin, [[Charles, Duke of Lower Lorraine|Charles]], brother of Lothair, as Duke of Lower Lorraine. This infuriated both Lothair and Hugh, whose sister, [[Beatrice of France|Beatrice]] was the regent for the young Duke [[Theodoric I of Upper Lorraine]]. In 978, Hugh thus supported Lothair in [[Franco-German war of 978–980|opening a war against Otto]].

In August 978, accompanied by the nobles of the kingdom, Lothair surprised and plundered [[Aachen]], residence of Otto II, forcing the imperial family to flee. After occupying Aachen for five days, Lothair returned to France after symbolically disgracing the city. In September 978, Otto II retaliated against Lothair by invading France with the aid of Charles. He met with little resistance on French territory, devastating the land around Rheims, [[Soissons]], and [[Laon]]. Otto II then had Charles crowned as King of France by [[Theodoric I]], Bishop of [[Metz]]. Lothair then fled to the French capital of Paris where he was besieged by Otto II and Charles. Sickness among his troops brought on by winter, and a French relief army under Hugh Capet, forced Otto II and Charles to lift the siege on 30 November and return to Germany. On the journey back to Germany, Otto's rearguard, unable to cross the [[Aisne]] in flood at [[Soissons]], was completely wiped out, "and more died by that wave than by the sword." This victory allowed Hugh Capet to regain his position as the first noble of the Frankish kingdom.